Peterborough men much more likely to take own lives than women, new figures reveal

Men are significantly more likely than women to take their own lives in Peterborough, new figures reveal.

Mental health charity the Campaign Against Living Miserably said stereotypes about masculinity, which lead men to bottle up their emotions, are linked to high suicide rates.

Public Health England data shows that there were 43 cases of suicide among men in Peterborough between 2015 and 2017, the latest period for which data is available.

This makes the male suicide rate for the area around 17.1 in every 100,000 men, compared to about 6.6 in every 100,000 women.

It means men in Peterborough were more than twice as likely to take their own lives during the three-year time period.

The male suicide rate has dropped since 2010-12, when it stood at around 25 in every 100,000. The total number of female suicides in the time period was too low to calculate a rate.

Discussions about male mental health have become increasingly prominent in recent years, with high-profile figures such as Prince William speaking on the issue.

Across England, there were almost 47,000 male suicides from 2015-17, compared to just under 2,000 female suicides.

Simon Gunning, CEO of CALM, said suicide remained the single biggest killer of men under 45 in the UK, with an average of 84 men taking their own lives in every week.

He said: “As a society we often conflate strength and stoicism – our research has told us that 84 per cent of men bottle up their emotions – and this can be incredibly damaging.

“There is still a stigma surrounding male mental health and suicide, but we’re moving in the right direction.

“More people than ever are contacting CALM and accessing our services and, following our call to the Government last year, the UK’s first Minister for Suicide Prevention was appointed. The wheels are in motion but there’s a long way to go.”

Gregor Henderson, from Public Health England, said: “Every suicide is a tragedy – it’s important that those at higher risk, including middle-aged men experiencing problems, receive the right support.

“We have worked with local authorities to ensure every area has a local suicide prevention plan and are leading work nationally to prevent poor mental health, reduce suicide rates and improve the quality of life for people living with mental illness.”

CALM can be contacted nationwide on 0800 58 58 58, or on 0808 802 58 58 if you live in London.

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